To China in Under 4 Minutes!

I have definite preferences when it comes to what kind of documentaries I like most. They're short, well written, and more often than not have something to do with people in a far off land I've never been too (even if that place is in the US!). They all teach me something I didn't already know. I also like the fact that many of these could easily be a spot on any news program. It's interesting how really good news journalism can be exactly like many short docs.

I love Current TV. This doc is on cave dwellers in China. It's amazing to think that people actually live like this these days! Just add this to the places in the world I need to visit.

Enjoy!

Another Documentary from Across the Pond

I guess I have a thing for documentaries narrated by people with British accents. This one's about LongHorn Jim and the babies he takes care of--both his lambs and his real children.

Just as a warning, part of this documentary is definitely gross if you ask me. I don't care what people say, birthing is not a beautiful process. But it's just a small part of this excellent short.

I love the different camera angles—the extreme wide shots, the close ups-- and the calm narrative voice. I like the way the story juxtaposes Longhorn Jim’s real children and the lambs he’s taking care of. Sometimes you don’t know which he’s talking about.

It's so well told and well shot. Another great one from FourDocs.

Flag Etiquette Doc -- A Do or a Don't?

Do you know flag etiquette? This short documentary is made up of still photos of flags found all over New York City. It doesn't so much tell a story, but read off a list of do's and don'ts when it comes to the American flag.



I was on the fence about whether or not I really liked this documentary, but I've officially decided that I do. It does what it set out to do--inform the public about flag etiquette and use really nice photos of flags to keep the attention. I like the calm, quiet music behind it as well.

And to be honest--I think any voice over done by a person with an accent would keep my attention for any amount of time.

An Animated Documentary

The UK's Channel 4 is smothered in controversy right now because of the Princess Diana documentary set to air tonight. While I’ve lost some respect for the channel due to the current situation, I do like checking out the videos on their website—something I’ve been doing for months now.


Today I watched this FourDoc—New Light Room—and totally loved the way it used animation to tell the story! No interviews, no people, barely even any scenery, just clever camera tricks.

What a fun way to put together a documentary!

The Potato Gun Video

In my attempt to keep up some broadcasting skills, I'm trying to use my new little handycam whenever I can! I was working with some free trials for editing software but haven't really found anything I like all that much, so I decided to just put together this video with what I already had.


It was all shot with my new camera, which doesn't yet have a mic or tripod, but did pretty well for itself during its first weekend out! Click below to check out what I did at my grandparent's house in Virginia over Memorial Day weekend.



As you can probably tell, the wind was a bit of an issue and I went a little zoom-happy, so I'll need to be careful about that. It was all edited on Window's Movie Maker, so I couldn't do a lot with it, but I think it's a good start. It definitely wasn't difficult at all, and it was something fun to do!


Stay tuned for more videos to come!